Welcome to Episode 41 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
“It’s important to be able to disagree and offend…Its more important to have the opportunity to be wrong or to have the opportunity to be offended than to go through life where nothing challenges or nothing has a rough edge. “
Free speech and censorship are the topics of today’s episode. Charle has been the Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) since 2002.
Charles gives us some background on how and when he became interested in both comics and free-speech issues, beginning in childhood with movies like Pump up the Volume and Batman (1989). Charles discusses growing up in the 90’s, and interviewing artists such as Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Will Eisner for a magazine he published in high school.
Most of this interview focuses on the problem of censorship, and how First Amendment rights are at risk as a result of print-media protests. We’ll discuss a number of historic free-speech cases from the last 20 years, and Charles will talk about the importance of protecting speech rights regardless of how a piece of art makes someone feel. Charles covers vulgarity in comic books, school library books of “sensitive nature,” and why Manga is not child pornography. Lastly, we discuss the “chilling effect” or the psychological impact censoring acts have on artists and art culture, and the importance of protecting free speech at all costs.
Links and notable mentions from today’s episode:
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Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
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The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
The illustration accompanying these show notes is by Whit Harris.
The theme music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram
Welcome to Episode 40 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with journalist and world traveler Elizabeth MacBride.
“I remember landing in Amman, Jordan and just being amazed at how beautiful it was and how friendly the people were, and that is something that holds true across the Middle East; it’s beautiful and the people are nice.“
Today’s discussion is with journalist and writer Elizabeth MacBride.
Elizabeth talks about the progression of her journalism career; beginning with how covering the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania led her to a life-changing trip to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in 1997.
Elizabeth also shares some of her more visceral journalism experiences such as reporting on persecuted Marsh Arabs and visiting hospitals in Bagdad where cancer medicine was banned by Saddam Hussein as a response to political and economic sanctions.
After being exposed to the beauty of the Middle East, Elizabeth began focusing more on marginalized and minority groups and how these groups are a rising entrepreneurial force. Elizabeth writes extensively on Middle Eastern economics and entrepreneurship, and we’ll discuss a few of her findings in this interview including a report on women refugee entrepreneurs in post-Arab Spring cultures.
We’ll also hear about the role of dignity in entrepreneurship, the Iranian economy, overcoming market challenges for entrepreneurs, and how political and economic challenges (such as sanctions) shape entrepreneurship and vice-versa.
This and more today with Elizabeth MacBride.
Links and notable mentions from today’s episode:
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.
Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.
Here are instructions on how to subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes.
The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
The illustration accompanying these show notes is by Whit Harris.
The theme music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram